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• Daraius Dubash and Emily Jablon write about travel hacking on Million Mile Secrets.
• They used airline miles and hotel points to take a $27,000 trip for about $4,300.
• They were able to take their parents along, too.
Daraius Dubash and Emily Jablon are experts at finding ways to take luxury vacations without the luxury price tag. On Million Mile Secrets, they share the best ways to earn enough airline miles, hotel points, and rewards to travel around the world.
Using their skillset they recently took a trip to the Maldives with their families, flying first class and staying in luxurious beachfront resorts for a fraction of the actual cost.
Here's how they paid about $4,300 for a $27,000 trip.
Flights to the Maldives
Dubash and Jablon booked two one-way business class tickets from Austin to India on Lufthansa. They used 60,000 United Airlines miles, so what would have cost $9,756 for the two of them only cost $137 out of pocket in taxes and fees.
Jablon's mother and stepfather came along on the trip, as did Dubash's father (though they paid for their own flights).
They then spent an additional $194 per person to fly one way from Bombay to Male, Maldives - it wasn't worth it to use miles on such an inexpensive flight.
Seaplane tickets to the Conrad Rangali Island cost $540 per person and weren't eligible for miles or rewards.
Accommodations
Five nights at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in a King Beach Villa would normally cost $6,500. With 195,000 of their Hilton Points, they stayed for free.
They accumulated all of those Hilton points by transferring their Hawaiian miles from the Barclaycard Hawaiian Airlines card.
Activities
Swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboating were all offered for free.
For meals, they ate at the Rangali Bar.
Meals started at around $30, and were some of the cheapest on the luxurious island. Dubash and Jablon recommend eating a big breakfast to spend less on lunches and dinners.
Flights home
Their flights home were covered by 15,000 British Airways Avios Points and a fare sale - only $10 in taxes and fees.
Total savings
At full price, their vacation in the Maldives would have cost around $27,014 for two people. They spent $4,298.
That's $22,716 worth of savings!